Rhino horn remains a desirable product in southeast and East Asian markets, where it is viewed as a prestige item. The recent increase in demand has coincided with the rapid economic growth experienced in Vietnam. As the Vietnamese economy has improved, and the disposable income has increased, the illegal rhino horn market has responded to the increase in demand (Sas-Rolfes, 2012, What exactly caused the recent poaching spike?). The photo below shows a young woman grinding rhino horn to mix with hot water. This is a popular treatment for hangovers among young, wealthy people in Vietnam.
(Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/181587969/Vietnams-Appetite-For-Rhino-Horn-Drives-Poaching-In-Africa)
Social Impact:
There is currently a group in Vietnam called Education for Nature Vietnam established in 2000, which is working to “foster greater understanding among the Vietnamese public about environmental issues, which includes the threat to the rhinoceros due to poaching for the illegal rhino horn.” The group sponsors billboards, like the one below in Hanoi, that says “rhino horns are just like buffalo horns, human hair and nail. Do not waste your money.”
The group also produces videos, like the one in the link below, to educate the public about the issue of illegal rhino horn trade.
Link to a Public Service Announcement (Rhino Horn Consumption is Socially Unacceptable):